


Second Chance

by JollyCat



Series: Chances [2]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:31:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JollyCat/pseuds/JollyCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A whole series of random chances have finally brought Nick and Sean together - but what happens next and what is life like now they've realised they love each other? And although they've decided to put the past behind them is that really possible or could past events come back to haunt them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a story called Random Chance recently which finished with a 'throwaway' final line which then wouldn't leave me alone - this is the result. You don't really need to have read Random Chance, other than to know Nick and Sean are together and have 'drawn a line' under their past differences to make it work. Oh, and Monroe isn't entirely comfortable with this.
> 
> Random Chance was set after series 5 but was deliberately vague about what had happened/might happen during that time. Because Second Chance actually has a plot (!) I have had to be more definite. It does therefore contain some spoilers (I'd watched up to 5-17 before writing this) and predictions for what might happen.

**Sunday**

The sun is shining from a clear blue sky and making the river below dance and glint with light. The windows and doors are open to the warm air, the sounds and smells of a summer's day are filling the house and Sean is tidying away after a very late breakfast, stopping occasionally to enjoy the view or a patch of sunlit warmth. He is happy.

There have been times in Sean Renard's life when he's been content, times when he's been proud, triumphant, aroused, amused or satisfied. But there haven't been many times he's felt so consciously, totally happy. Even the pull of the klaustreich scratch on his shoulder as he reaches down to put a pan away is evidence of his happiness, a reminder of how he and Nick averted potential gang warfare last night, worked together, fought side by side. And when they got home, full of adrenaline and new love, well, Sean is fairly sure he came at least one more time than a man in his forties has any right to expect. His body still feels warmed, responsive, as though all the nerve receptors have been turned up a notch higher than usual.

The sound of the door buzzer lifts him from his slightly erotic daydream and he steps across to see who it is, they aren't expecting anyone. The little screen shows a familiar figure, a tiny grey cloud in the blue sky of his happiness. A wolf shaped one.

Monroe is alone, a Spice and Tea bag in his left hand.  
"Hey, Nick in?"  
"Not at the moment but he'll be back in five, ten minutes."  
Sean holds the door open and Monroe steps past him, looking at both Sean and his surroundings with evident suspicion. He always seems to think he's going to find Sean hosting a Black Claw revival meeting and wearing some kind of paramilitary uniform rather than, as now, doing dishes in jeans and a blue t shirt, one Sean thinks is a little tight and Nick says is just right.

Monroe puts the bag on the kitchen counter, wanders a little, breathing deeply. Sean decides he isn't going to worry about what Monroe's sense of smell is telling him, although when Monroe comes up to him and inhales he does step sharply away.  
"How's Rosalee?" That's a neutral topic and Monroe is prepared to believe even Sean cares how she is.  
"She's okay. Starting to get a little uncomfortable - not long to go now. So, where is Nick?"  
"He's gone to get some cartons. Then this afternoon we're going to get some of his things out of storage, pictures, stuff he wants to have in the house. Our house."  
Monroe's eyebrows go up at that but Sean stares him down. Because this is one shining strand of his happiness, that as of Thursday Nick officially lives with him, a commitment by both of them. Nick has let the lease on the apartment go - having spent only a handful of nights there - and this is Nick's home now as much as Sean's. Monroe thinks it's too soon of course.

Both men feel a distinct sense of relief at the sound of a key in the door.

Nick tells Monroe about the klaustreichs while Sean makes coffee. Nick asks after Rosalee too,  
"She is definitely starting to den-build. She wants to clean every item in the house, we've painted the nursery - twice - and she seems determined to get six months ahead with every single repeat order at the Spice Shop. Which is why I'm here, in fact."  
Monroe reaches for the bag, lifts out a bottle, passes it to Nick,  
"This is the replacement Siegbarste Gift that you and Rosalee have been working on. Not sure how you're going to try it out unless an _actual_ Siegbarste is coming at you, so for your sake I hope it works. _This_ -", he lifts out a jar, "-is Rosalee's healing salve, which with the two of you living together I guess you'll have to start buying on an industrial scale, and _this_ -", a final bottle appears, "- is more biest-suppressant." He looks at Sean, "I know you said you had enough for a couple months but, as I say, Rosalee's planning ahead in _everything_ , she'll probably give Adalind and Diana enough to last them a _year_."  
Sean takes the bottle, notices how Nick looks away. As Monroe and Nick go back to the topic of Siegbarsten he slips out, goes to put the bottle at the back of a closet. It's not that he's hiding it from Nick, he just doesn't want it somewhere Nick has to look at it everyday. Too many memories.

Monroe leaves and Sean and Nick head out to the container that holds just about everything that was in Nick and Juliette's house. Sean had been surprised when Nick said he'd like some of the stuff out but after thinking about it he's decided it's a good sign, an indication that Nick really has moved on - nothing from the old house was used in the loft Nick shared with Adalind. Sean is also pleased that Nick wanted him to come along. Nick digs through boxes, asks Sean's opinion - not that he says 'no' to anything, it's Nick's house too - finds pictures, some photos, a rug he likes, a few kitchen items. Despite the speed with which Nick moved the cartons are marked and they avoid entirely the one's marked 'Juliette'.

The afternoon is spent doing their own den-building: moving pictures around, rearranging some furniture to suit a two-person-not-one household, Nick drinking too much coffee because it tastes better from his rediscovered favorite mug. They cook and eat pasta, Nick watches a very important game on TV (why it's important passes Sean by), while Sean amuses himself by asking for explanations of what's going on and watching Nick. The happiness bubbles up again, happiness at such an ordinary day which is so extraordinary for him.

Sean is in the bathroom putting the salve on the klaustreich scratch across his shoulder when Nick comes in, stands behind him, runs his hands down Sean's bare sides, across his back.  
"You're beautiful."  
Sean looks at Nick's reflection in the mirror, lifts an eyebrow at Nick's choice of word.  
"Yeah, beautiful. And hot."  
Nick reaches round, fingers tickling across Sean's stomach, up to stroke his chest, kisses his unmarked shoulder.  
"And you are insatiable."  
"Look who's talking."  
And it's true, there is definitely a tented effect to these pants that wasn't there a minute ago. Sean turns and strokes his own hands down Nick's ribs, slides them across his hip bones to rest at the top of his boxers. Sean pulls Nick against him, the hardness of his erection against Nick's hip. Nick is holding his eyes, grinning slightly as Sean's fingers slide down just inside the fabric,  
"I only came in here to clean my teeth!"  
Nick certainly isn't arguing though when Sean takes his hand, pulls him towards the bedroom. Not arguing at all when Sean pushes him back on the bed, slides the boxers down and kisses and tastes and strokes with clever lips and fingers down his body. Incapable of arguing by the time he groans Sean's name in release. Sean's happiness is complete, here, now, watching Nick, holding him and being held and saying the words he's said but never truly meant to anyone else. He has no idea how he ever managed without this.

**Monday**

They are woken early by Nick's phone. Nick unwinds himself from Sean to reach across - it's Wu, of course, with a case. Sean lies dozing, listening as Nick gets up, moves around - it's still so new to him to have someone else in the house he can't sleep, even if he wanted to. Nick comes back into the bedroom, leans over. Sean opens his eyes, pulls Nick to him for a kiss,  
"Have a good day Detective Burkhardt."  
"And you too, Mr Mayor."  
They kiss again, the kiss deepening until Sean groans, moves back an inch,  
"Go, go and fight crime before you start something you can't finish."  
Nick laughs,  
"I love you Sean"  
"I love you too Nick."

Sean is not quite sure what Black Claw expected him to actually do as Mayor of Portland. Sure there had been lots of talk about Governorship and then who knew what but the reality would still have been this job, at least at first. Maybe they thought he'd seize absolute power, the first dictator in Oregon, or maybe they just didn't have a very clear idea of what the Mayor of Portland actually did. Anyway, today he has a planning meeting and then another about road maintenance - what Black Claw would have made of either of them is anyone's guess. The planning meeting goes well, two applications for re-zoning, one of which he supports, one of which he doesn't - he knows the eisbiber community think building on the land in question will have a significant impact on a nearby waterway and you have to trust the opinion of an eisbiber when it comes to drainage. The second meeting is less successful, with one of the other committee members apparently opposing whatever Sean wants just for the sake of it. Sean has noted the man in question before, doesn't know why Richard Pierson dislikes him - could be a political thing, a Wesen thing, could be that someone from Sean's precinct once arrested him, could be that he thinks, liberal city though Portland is, that Sean should burn in hell for loving another man. Sean's not sure he believes in hell but if that's where he's headed he knows it won't be for loving Nick. He makes a mental note to check up on Pierson, find out what might be going on before it becomes a real issue. By the time all that's done it's nearly lunchtime and he heads to his office for an afternoon of paperwork.

Sean checks his phone for messages - two from Nick which make him smile and to which he replies straightaway - and then turns to his mail. Most is opened and sorted by his PA but there is one unopened envelope, 'Private and Confidential - only to be opened by S. Renard' in bold black writing across it. Posted in Portland, thin enough to only contain a few sheets of paper at most. He opens it cautiously and photographs fall out.

There are only five photographs but the story they tell is clear - the murder of a man, the face of the killer visible and familiar. He studies them for a moment then turns each one over. On the back of the final one in the sequence is printed,  
'Tuesday 10am Cafe Zarzuela. Tell no-one, especially not the Grimm you're doing. Say anything, don't turn up and these pictures go online."  
He looks at the photos again, studying them for details of background, any information. There isn't much to give him a location. The writing on both envelope and photograph is block capitals, all correctly spelt and punctuated. He thinks 'doing' could have been replaced with several other more graphic or aggressive words - quite polite for a threat, but a threat nonetheless. After a few minutes he reaches for the phone, calls a number without needing to check it first. He passes through the levels of bureaucracy until he's speaking to the woman he needs,  
"I'm going to come and see her today, this afternoon. I'll be with you about 5.”  
The voice at the end of the line says,  
"Today? I thought you were coming Wednesday?"  
"It has to be today."  
"Very well. I'll make sure she's ready."

The drive out is so well-known now he could probably do it in his sleep, the slow progression through locked doors and security checks equally so. Finally he reaches the room they always use, the superintendent waiting, her face flickering to show her Balam features - even given the months they've been doing this she's still nervous. He takes a seat, the superintendent presses a buzzer and an officer opens the door. And there she is. Eve.

Eve sits, tilts her head slightly to the side.  
"Sean. I did not expect you today."  
"Sorry Eve, there had to be a change of plan. How are you?"  
She looks at him with that strange blank stare,  
"I have sufficient food and exercise. I have the books I requested on your last visit. I am...well. How are you?"  
It's taken a while to get to this level of conversation and so he talks to her, tells her about Hank and Monroe and Rosalee - because they were her friends - tries to get answers from her that are more than yes or no. He doesn't mention Nick. After a few minutes the conversation, such as it is, dries up. Eve holds out her arm,  
"I am ready."  
From his jacket pocket, allowed through security by permission from a very much higher level than the superintendent, Sean takes a small bottle with a Spice Shop label. The superintendent passes him a metal bowl with the other things he needs, resumes her seat on the far side of the room. Sean lifts the syringe from the bowl, fills it from the bottle and then takes Eve's thin arm in his hand and gives her the shot. It's a thick needle, has to hurt, but she never flinches.  
"It's done."  
Eve looks at her arm, then at him,  
"No more hexenbiest."  
He can't tell how she feels about the suppressant, does she welcome it or resent it? One thing's for sure this facility couldn't hold her without it. She always asks the same thing of him when it's done though,  
"Show me."  
He shakes his head, lets the Zauberbiest take him. Eve reaches up her hand, touches his cheek, strokes his transformed flesh. For the first and only time in their meeting she smiles.  
This is normally the point where he leaves but today there is something else he needs to ask. He reaches into his pocket again, takes out a photograph, the least incriminating one of the sequence of five. Eve leans forward and looks at it. He points to the victim,  
"You know who this is?"  
Eve's head tilts again,  
"His name is Craig Wilkie. He worked for Black Claw."  
Sean points at the other figure, the killer. Very tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a suit, shirt and tie. Dark hair. The profile - his profile - is clear in this photograph.  
"And who is this?"  
Eve looks at him, face impassive, says,  
"That is me."  
Sean sighs,  
"I thought it must be."

It's late by the time Sean gets home but Nick is even later thanks to his new case. When he gets home he wolfs down a huge sandwich and drinks a bottle of beer while he tells Sean about the murder - a tough case from the sound of it, a seventeen year old girl who'd gotten a little carried away making out with her human boyfriend and lost control of her woge. Unfortunately for both of them she's a Lontramulher - giant otter Wesen, with teeth and claws big enough to hurt more than fish - and in her panic killed him.  
"Does that kind of thing happen often"  
Sean is puzzled by Nick's question,  
"How do you mean?"  
"Losing control. Woging, maybe hurting someone by accident."  
"I had to learn control quickly but...the first time I woged wasn't good. Think how tough it is being an adolescent human and then add in learning that you're Wesen, all those hormones - I guess it may happen more than we realise. Which is one reason why Diana is taking the suppressant." The other reason, of course, is that it seems to hold Diana's ageing in check - whatever the arguments against giving their daughter such a strong drug, in the end neither Sean or Adalind wants to see their daughter die of old age.  
Nick turns suddenly, into his arms,  
"I'm glad you'll be there to help Kelly."

It's only as they're getting ready to fall into bed that Nick says,  
"I've talked and talked but I never asked how your day was. Anything happen?"  
Sean opens his mouth,  
"Nick-”  
Nick looks at him, gives him that smile, dark hair falling over his forehead, half out of his jeans. He's gorgeous. And in love with him.  
"You know, it was a very dull day, nothing really happened at all."  
Nick doesn't notice, tired after a sixteen hour day, pre-occupied with undressing, putting his phone on charge, but Sean feels the weight of the lie, the first lie between them, long after Nick has fallen asleep


	2. Chapter 2

**Tuesday**

Rosalee is at the shop early, well before she's due to open. There is so much she needs to do, because she's really not sure how they are going to manage once the baby is born. Sure, Monroe helps out a lot but he has his own business, a business he loves and then there's all the time he spends with Nick. They've talked about getting help, which would be fine if it was just a case of selling tea but how do they find someone to help with all the other stuff? She walks through to the front store and her eye is caught by a movement outside: here we are, thirty minutes before she should be turning the sign on the door and there's old Mr Zezenmann already waiting. He's struggling to keep his Heftigauroch wife at home because she can't always tell when she's woging anymore, he comes in for calming tea, a medicine to help. And then twenty minutes after Mr Zezenmann leaves Leroy Estes comes by for the medication for his inner ear problems and then twenty minutes after that it's a young Luisant-pécheur, suffering from a mystery fur loss. And there are the other customers too - how will she ever have time to look after a baby? It's nearly 11am - in three hours she hasn't even made one pot of the salve she's promised for the dry skin of Genio Innocui and her back is aching and she feels huge and untidy and the baby's kicking something that hurts and oh god, there's the bell again, please let it be someone just wanting tea. But it's not, this time it's Sean.

He walks straight through to the back room, beautiful suit and pristine white shirt, cool and in control and just for a second Rosalee wants to scream.  
'Rosalee, I need-'  
He stops suddenly,  
'Rosalee, sit down."  
"I don't have time to sit down, you have no idea how much I have to do-”  
"Rosalee, sit!"  
Ooh, command voice. She sits and the relief is instant, her back relaxing and the change of position somehow encouraging the baby to kick something less vital. It's so good that she definitely drifts for a moment.  
"Here, drink this."  
A warm mug is pressed into her hand, she hadn't even heard Sean moving around and making the tea. She takes a cautious sip, peppermint, good choice. She looks up at Sean, leaning back against the counter and watching her.  
"Did I look that bad?"  
"You did. Better now?"  
"Yes, thank you." Rosalee glances at the clock, twenty after eleven now. "Mrs Berlanga will be here in an hour for this salve, I must get it done." She starts getting out of the chair.  
"Rosalee, stay where you are."  
Much to her astonishment Sean picks up the recipe, studies it for a second and then takes off his suit jacket and tie and neatly rolls up his sleeves.  
"What are you doing?"  
"You know, I had no more interest in potions than your average teenage boy but that did not get me out of helping my mother when she needed it. Tortoise moisturiser I can manage."  
In a remarkably short time the salve is made, the jars neatly lined up and labelled. Sean has also cleared up and dealt with three customers. The first two were regulars, making a quick stop for their usual tea, the third someone Rosalee doesn't recognise wanting spices. Rosalee can hear Sean solemnly advising on the difference between buying ground coriander seed and the whole spice. She giggles slightly to herself at the customer going home and saying, 'you know the assistant at that Spice Shop looks just like the mayor'.

Sean comes back into the room,  
"I am going to have to go soon, I have to be at work this afternoon. Will you be ok?"  
"I will. And thank you. Sean, when you came in you were going to say you needed something - what was it."  
He frowns,  
"Not something I needed, something I needed to warn you about."

He tells her about the photographs, shows them to her.  
"And this is really Eve?"  
"Yes, I went to see her yesterday and she confirmed it."  
"That damn transformation spell! It has caused us one hell of a lot of problems. So what happened at this meeting? You've been to this Cafe Zarzuela I guess - and then came here. What did they want?"  
"They want the hexenbiest suppressant. A lot of it."  
"But - how would anyone know about it? And why would they want it?"  
"Presumably to suppress a hexenbiest - or a lot of hexenbiests, given how much they're asking for. And three people are taking it - Adalind knows lots of Wesen in Portland, someone might have put two and two together. Diana's only, well, however old Diana is, she could have let something slip. And I give Eve the suppressant. The superintendent doesn't know exactly what it is but she can probably take a guess. Or Eve herself could have said something, I have really no way to judge what she would or wouldn't do."  
"How much do they want?"  
"Three years' supply."  
"What? We couldn't do that even if we wanted to - there's no way we could get enough..., enough of the ingredients. What are you going to do?"  
"I told them those kind of quantities would take time. In the meantime, see what I can find out."  
Rosalee notices the 'I',  
"Sean, does Nick know?"

 

He'd lain awake in the dark for an hour, listening to Nick's breathing. Then another. It's not because they told him not to that he doesn't want to tell Nick, it's just that all his wonderful happiness suddenly feels so fragile. What if Nick doesn't believe it's really Eve in the photographs? And if these photos are published, if these photos take him down the effects on Nick will be huge - what if Nick backs off, distances himself? He's loved Nick for far longer than the weeks, months they've been together and when they both realised that, that first night they spent together, it was...he doesn't have words for it, just knows his life changed in that moment beyond anything he ever dreamed of. But it's all well and good for them to say 'draw a line', it doesn't mean others will. Can this possibly last or can something, something like this bring it all crashing down? He lies awake another hour. At 3:34 precisely Nick turns in his arms and half opens his eyes, mumbles  
"You're not asleep?"  
Sean takes a deep breath,  
"Nick, there's something I need to tell you."

Nick is a good cop and he asks pertinent questions, even after being woken up in the middle of the night. He studies the photos, retrieved from Sean's briefcase, processes the information from Eve. And then he turns off the light and works his way as close to Sean as he possibly can,  
"Sean, why didn't you tell me straightaway?"  
There is a long pause before Sean answers but Nick doesn't push, just lies there, arms wrapped around Sean, legs entwined, his head lying on Sean's shoulder. And this time there is no lie,  
"Nick, there's never been anyone to tell before, not like this. It matters so much, for a while I got...a little scared."  
Nick's arms hold even tighter,  
"Hey, we've dealt with worse. We'll sort it out, the two of us."

 

After he leaves Rosalee Sean spends a normal afternoon in his office, paperwork, budgets, strategy planning. This job seems to contain all the most tedious bits of being a police captain with none of the excitement or the rather flattering uniform for special occasions. He heads home, hoping Nick will be there, thinking about Rosalee and the suppressant. Because it's not going to take anyone longer than about ten minutes to figure the Spice Shop must be where it's made.

Nick isn't so late tonight but as the evening goes on he grows unusually quiet. Sean worries it's something he's done or said or the photos and what whoever it is wants - although they've talked it over, talked through their next steps and Nick seems concerned but confident about it all. Eventually though Nick starts talking. They've been interviewing the friends of his Lontramulher killer and her kehrseiter boyfriend. No happy endings here - the girl is freely confessing she did it but with no murder weapon or explanation for the boy's wounds a good defence lawyer will get her off. And is that what Nick wants? Her remorse is genuine, it was an accident - but the boyfriend did nothing to deserve to die like that. Nick has also interviewed the girl's best friend, another Lontramulher.  
"She's a bright kid, Luzia, supposed to go to college next year. She knows what happened between her friend and this boy and she is terrified, terrified it could happen to her. You know what she said when she knew I was a Grimm? 'You should kill me now, like you're supposed to.' And it wasn't me she was scared of, it was herself." Nick pauses, "It makes it tough too, with someone who doesn't know, doesn't understand in your office."  
There doesn't seem anything to say or do other than hold Nick close - and that seems to be enough because after a while Nick stirs against him and slides his hands down to rest against the seat of Sean's pants. Sean smiles against Nick's hair,  
"On the other hand you couldn't do that if I was still your boss."  
"No? What would you have to do?"  
"If you put your hands on my ass? Definitely a firm talking to."  
"Hmm. What about this?" Nick's hands slide between them, undo the belt and button on his pants.  
"Oh, that would definitely be a warning. A written warning - except I don't have a pen at the moment."  
"And what about this?" Now Nick's loosened the zipper enough he can pull Sean's shirt free and then slides one hand down the back of his pants, the other up under his shirt.  
"That would be some kind of course on not sexually harassing your senior officers at work. A very dull course, at least an entire morning."  
"And how about if I get you upstairs, take all your clothes off and give you such a good time you don't know what day it is?"  
He grins, "There are no regulations for that. I'd just have to lie back and think of Portland."

They both like the equality of hands and mouths, of licking and sucking and holding and thrusting against warm skin. And Sean can't deny that being in Nick is wonderful, seeing his eyes glaze with the sensation, hearing the sounds he makes as Sean moves. But this, this was unexpected the first time, Nick's warm fingers stretching and teasing and then his warm body and Sean doesn't need to do anything but just be taken away on the waves. And afterwards Nick holds him in his arms, Sean's head on Nick's chest. Sean is six inches taller than Nick: he doesn't know how this position works or how it can be so comfortable, but it does and it is. He drifts to sleep, secure and wanted and loved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wednesday**

Sean and Nick wake so intertwined it actually takes a moment to work out how to separate and whose leg is whose. They lie facing each other and Nick strokes his face, left side round his mouth, right side by his eye. Nick often does this, almost like a code, a sign that he knows the Zauberbiest is there and he loves that part of Sean too. They stroke and kiss and caress, not with any intention of going anywhere with it, just for the pleasure of these few minutes together. They get up and shower and dress and Sean makes coffee while Nick makes toast and that's all just as special to Sean. They kiss goodbye, a long kiss, just to keep them going. And despite all this he's in his office early enough to get a head start.

Sean has always juggled a complicated life and is well used to making time in his working day for...other matters. He scythes through emails, submissions, reports that people feel it's vital he reads and responds to with the speed and ruthlessness of a reaper. He has a meeting at 1, other stuff this afternoon but he's given himself a clear couple of hours to deal with the photographs. He pulls a few pieces of paper towards him and starts making notes - pencil, with the paper directly on the hard surface of his desk. Old cautions die hard, which is probably a good thing.

There are a number of lines of enquiry. First of all Craig Wilkie himself. It turns out Wilkie was a political aide in the recent elections in the Gallagher camp, in other words Sean's opposition. When the news broke about Gallagher's indiscretions (information provided by Sean himself in the first instance of course), Wilkie had been heavily implicated by the press. Shortly after that his apartment had been cleared, bank account emptied and he'd disappeared, everyone assumed voluntarily, which explains why Sean hadn't heard about his murder. If he was Black Claw he was presumably Wesen and it doesn't surprise Sean that they would have had a foot in both camps. The important question is who took the photographs? They are good quality, probably a phone camera but definitely not CCTV. So someone took them but didn't reveal them - or indeed that Wilkie was even dead. Who that was would be interesting to know. It would be useful to talk to Eve again but he needs to do it without the superintendent listening in - Eve probably doesn't have the...social skills isn't the right phrase, the emotional awareness to realise anything she's saying could cause him problems. He makes a phone call.

Second thing to follow up on is the meeting at Cafe Zarzuela. A young man had come in - never woged but Maushertz if Sean had to guess - and asked if he was 'John RENard', the mispronunciation maybe deliberate to give the impression he was just an ill-informed messenger. The young man had given him a phone. Five minutes later it rang - withheld number - and he got the message about the suppressant and was told to keep the phone. Sean now has four phones in his jacket - his own personal one, a work one, a tiny burner one he keeps for calls he doesn't want traceable to him and now this one. Any more and he'll have to start getting jackets with extra pockets custom made. He lifts out the most recent addition. Cheap phone, memory empty. But phones like this often come with the SIM card separate. He was always extremely careful when installing them, but whoever did this one was not so so cautious, which is why last night he and Nick had removed the card and found a nice, clear fingerprint on the inside of the case. Nick is checking that today.

The area he considers next is who could know about the hexenbiest suppressant? His gut instinct is that the leak came from Eve or, more likely, the superintendent at the facility. Rosalee gives Adalind and Diana the suppressant directly - capsules for Adalind, syrup for Diana, rather than the depot shot that Eve gets. The only obvious connection between him and their suppressant is when Diana stays and he makes sure she takes the stuff. He makes some more notes. And who knows a hexenbiest? Because that's the only reason to need the suppressant. He calls some contacts, starts putting out discreet enquiries into both the superintendent and the hexenbiests in town. And after a fairly long pause he rings Adalind.

Adalind listens to his rather edited explanation of why he wants to know about hexenbiests, agrees to think about it and send him a list. That they can have a civil conversation is a major step forward. He doesn't think they'll ever like each other, may not ever be comfortable with each other but they both know they have to get along - for Kelly, for Nick and of course for their daughter. Diana has some unique needs and problems, getting along now is the least they can do for her.

Almost as soon as he's put the phone down it buzzes with an incoming email. One from Nick with the results of the fingerprint and then, on the other phone, two messages from other contacts. He looks at the results with some puzzlement - could this really be about politics not potions? The fingerprint on the SIM card belongs to Kevin Gallagher, the son of his political rival. Suddenly there is another buzz, another incoming message. But this one is the phone he was given in Cafe Zarzuela,  
_You're taking too long. 24 hours or this picture is published._

Sean sits through two meetings, attentive, involved, competent - because if he hadn't learned to do that whilst really being concerned about other things he'd have been done for long ago - and then tours and opens a healthcare facility. A tiny part of him acknowledges that he actually quite enjoys this aspect of his job, had actually quite enjoyed it as a police captain, the occasional high school visits to the precinct, meet and greet the public. It wouldn't have quite matched his reputation to say it, of course. Today though he's constantly aware of the phones in his pockets, the occasional vibration. When he's finally through he excuses himself and checks the phones (the thought crosses his mind that if they ever all go off at the same time he'll probably drop dead from some sort of radio wave overload) and contemplates what to do next. The various lines of enquiry are coming together: he could go threaten a few people, always fun, put a little pressure on to get more information. Or he could go out and see Eve again, without the superintendent. What he decides to do is go to the Spice Shop. He tells himself it's because there might be more information, Rosalee might have heard something, but in reality it's because he's worried about Rosalee. He hasn't quite got used to openly caring for so many people yet.

When Sean gets to the Spice Shop and pushes open the door he can hear voices: Monroe's up high, like it gets when he's arguing or objecting, Nick's voice explaining, For a fleeting second he almost contemplates not going in but they've heard the bell and Nick's smile when he turns and sees it's him would keep him walking over hot coals. Rosalee is leaning on the counter, she looks tired but better than yesterday.

Luzia Ribeiro, the Lontramulher best friend of the killer in Nick's case, has gone. She's left a note, taken a bag, clothes, money. She's eighteen so officially if she wants to leave she can. But Nick is worried, feels responsible in that way he does and he wants Monroe's help.

There follows two minutes of a peculiar kind of dance. Monroe wants to go with Nick but he also doesn't want to leave Rosalee. Plus if Monroe doesn't go with Nick, Sean will probably go and Monroe is still struggling with that. Nick wants Monroe to go because he can hopefully track Luzia but he also doesn't want to upset Rosalee. Sean would like to go with Nick but the Captain still in him knows that Monroe has a much better chance of following Luzia's trail - and he understands, as the others maybe don't, that Nick is worried that the money and the clothes are a ruse, that Luzia might be contemplating something more drastic than catching a bus to Eugene. Rosalee just wants them all to make their minds up and go.  
"Monroe, go, go with Nick. I will be fine. I'm going to sit down and do the books, then I'm going to shut the shop and go home. I will be fine. Find this girl, she can't just be let go."  
"Okay. But you and the little guy look after each other and don't try and do too much."  
Monroe kisses Rosalee, pats her belly. The know it's a boy - that was the news they'd heard the day Sean came to the Spice Shop, his face full of splinters, the day he and Nick nearly kissed. What they don't know, and won't know for many years of course, is if he'll be a blutbad or a fuchsbau. Or something else.

Sean decides he's going to follow up the photos, pointedly ignoring Monroe's comment that they may be of the most _illegal_ thing Eve did wearing Renard's body but he bets it wasn't the most awkward. There are some things Sean prefers not to think about and Eve having sex with his appearance is most definitely one of those things. He responds by putting a little extra into it as he kisses Nick goodbye, one hand in his hair, pulling him close. The three men leave, Nick and Monroe turning left, Sean turning right.

It's pure random chance that Sean's phone rings just as he reaches the corner. It's not an important call, nothing to do with the photographs or the people he loves. He answers it though, pausing as he tries to recall the details of the previous conversation with the caller, glancing back towards the Spice Shop. When he finishes the call he makes a decision, turns back. He'll wait with Rosalee until she shuts the shop. But as he's walking back three men appear, two heavy set, one smaller. He tenses, realises they're heading into the Spice Shop.

Rosalee is still behind the counter, the smaller man in front of her, back to Sean as he goes in. One of the bigger men is roaming the shop, pushing bottles aside, making his presence felt, the other is standing behind Rosalee, twisting her arm up behind her back. He woges - Balam, heavily muscled, big teeth white against the spotted fur. The small man turns, his face vaguely familiar. Sean thinks this is Kevin Gallagher.  
"You! You've been asking questions, not doing what we said. We've got fed up of waiting so now this fuchsbau bitch is just going to give us what we need. And the photographs will be on every news site by tomorrow."

Sean is studying in the positions of the three men - can he take them all? If it was just him in the room he'd give it a go with reasonable confidence but they're spread out and heavily pregnant Rosalee has to be his main concern. The second big man also woges, also Balam. Gallagher looks twitchy, nervous and the big men are dangerous - not a good combination. He can't risk Rosalee and in a fight in such a small, crowded place there's no way to guarantee she won't be hurt. He forces himself to relax, wait for a better moment.

Gallagher tells Rosalee to get the recipe for the suppressant and then gathers the ingredients at her direction. There's nothing too unusual in most of them, in fact a lot of the ingredients are buffers or preservatives for the key one. Gallagher seems to understand that, turns to Rosalee,  
"There must be more than this? What else?"  
Rosalee turns the page - she'd copied the original recipe in full.  
"What the - the liver, gall-bladder, tongue and four ribs of a hexenbiest? Where the fuck do you get that from?"  
"I don't have any of those things." Which is the truth.  
"Well you make this suppressant, I know you do. And he-”, pointing at Sean, "-takes it to that freak out at River Point. So you can make it for me."  
There's a pause and then he hits Rosalee, a hard slap on her face. Rosalee gasps and Sean feels his woge ripple.  
"You find this stuff, wherever you have it hidden and then you're coming with me and you're going to make what I need."  
Gallagher turns, looks at Sean, whose woge is still close to the surface.  
"He's too dangerous. I would have liked to see him abused in the press like my father was, brought down but perhaps doing it after he's dead will be good enough."  
The nearest Balam moves towards Sean, eyes glowing but Sean keeps his own eyes fixed on Gallagher.  
"Kill me and you won't ever get the suppressant you want. You need me alive to make it."  
Gallagher glances at the recipe,  
"This doesn't need a Zauberbiest to make it - it's not a spell, it's a potion."  
"You misunderstand me. I don't make the suppressant, I'm the missing ingredient."

Rosalee never ceases to amaze Sean: without a huge amount of training, without being a hexenbiest she seems to understand potions like no-one he's known other than his mother. She takes lateral thinking and instinct to a whole new level too. Months ago the need for a suppressant that didn't rely on digging up Adalind's dead relatives had become an absolute necessity - and it was Rosalee who had, on some wild hunch, suggested trying his blood. If it had just been Eve he would have hesitated, just Adalind he would have refused - because he surely didn't owe Nick and his friends anything and the distance between them at that time had seemed unbridgeable - but in the end it was for Diana too and he had agreed. Once a month meeting Rosalee, never when Monroe or Nick were there, once a month the syringe of blood from his arm, enough for Eve and Adalind and Diana. He doesn't know if it's because he's a Zauberbiest or if it's because he has Royal blood but it works, not at all like the original, but it works. And it seems that's a dangerous thing.

They are bundled into the back of a panel truck, hands tied tightly behind them, one of the Balams next to them. Rosalee's breathing is strained, the bruise developing on her face but she mouths 'I'm okay.' She's not just remarkable for her skill with potions, Sean thinks. The only comfort he can give her is to sit close and Rosalee leans into him, head on his shoulder, belly against his leg as they drive away from the Spice Shop. This started because someone thought they had evidence he had killed a man. The urge to actually kill someone is starting to get very strong.

Sean concentrates hard on where they're being taken - he can't see out of course but he can tell something from the direction, the road noise. Out of the city and up, maybe 10 miles. Eventually they stop and are hauled out of the truck. Sean snarls when they try to drag Rosalee,  
"Be careful with her - hurt her or the baby and I will see you pay for it."  
Gallagher is looking at Rosalee with a slight expression of horror, like he maybe hadn't realised quite how pregnant she is,  
"We need her to make the stuff so yeah, be careful."  
The Balam growls slightly but does help Rosalee more gently.

They are taken into a building, hard to see much because they are well away from streetlights but it seems to be a large concrete structure. They're surrounded by forest but the road in was a decent one. The place is ringing slight bells for Sean, although he can't think where from. Inside they are taken to a large room, clearly not used anymore but still part furnished - work tables, chairs and stools, a sink. It looks like it was once used as some kind of lab, although most everything has gone. One of the Balams has the box with all Rosalee's ingredients, puts it down on a table. Rosalee's hands are untied and she is patted down and then Sean is hauled to his feet and searched much less gently, the big men taking the opportunity for some pushing and shoving and a few threats. He provokes them a little, gets a blow to the stomach for his efforts. He doesn't mind, their search is less careful because of it. He's more concerned about Rosalee though, she's leaning against a bench, hands gripping the edge and she looks odd, almost like she's listening to something Sean can't hear. The thought crosses his mind, what if the baby...

A phone rings, not one of Sean's, and Gallagher reaches into his pocket. He moves across, turns his back on them but it's clear the conversation isn't going well - that Gallagher is trying to justify his actions is clear, as is the anger in the voice at the other end of the line. Sean is sure that Gallagher's not the main man here, the Balams are following his orders but don't have his loyalty - Sean sees them catch each other's eye at the conversation that is unfolding. Sean is still not quite sure what this is all about but he strongly suspects bringing them here was not part of whoever is on the phone's original plan.

Gallagher finishes the call, he looks worried, trying to act tough.  
"You are going to have some of this stuff ready by morning, or that's it - you start getting hurt, properly hurt. We have ... other business to deal with but we'll be back."  
He comes right up to Sean and perhaps regrets it when he realises just how much shorter he is, perhaps that's what makes him woge. He's a Balam but not an ordinary one, his fur patchy and rotten, skull and tendons showing through, the visible flesh dry and dessicated.  
"I need that suppressant."

The three men - Balams, whatever - back out of the room and they can hear locks turn. Rosalee levers herself up with a groan and comes across to untie Sean's hands,  
"What the hell was he?"  
Sean is fairly sure he knows,  
"He's a hybrid - half Balam, half Zauberbiest. How that works I don't know, I'm sure his father is human. There's clearly more going on here than just him. In the meantime they've left us here, locked up all night by ourselves to turn straw into gold. I think by the time they get back we can be ready with more than just some hexenbiest suppressant."  
Sean reaches deep into his jacket and pulls out the tiny burner phone. The careless search found three but, hell, who would have four phones.

Rosalee sometimes ponders what an odd turn her life has taken, that being thrown in the back of a panel truck and kidnapped barely registers on her scale of life's traumas. Monroe and Nick hadn't even noticed they were missing, still searching for Luzia Ribeiro, so Sean's call initially has a certain comedy element as he has to explain what's happened. He actually sounds quite annoyed by their captors' inefficiency. Rosalee listens, can tell when Nick passes what's happened on to Monroe because she can actually hear him, not the words but the pitch, at least an octave above normal. He'll have a little time to calm down anyway because Sean's phone is just a phone, no internet or maps, so Nick will have to trace it to find their location. They settle in to wait.

They sit, side by side, in an oddly companionable silence for a while until Rosalee has to stand and and stretch and walk around for a little. Sean is watching her with that same concerned look he had yesterday - she wonders if he realises how much his poker face is slipping with her these days. When she sits back down he says,  
"You know, there was one moment back there when I though the baby was going to start arriving."  
"Sean, there was one moment there where I thought he was as well."  
He looks briefly horrified but then a corner of his mouth lifts,  
"I'm sure you would have managed that as capably as you do everything else but I'm very glad it was a false alarm. You deserve to have all the possible comforts and Monroe holding your hand."  
"I suspect he's going to be more the yelling encouragement type. Probably while timing my contractions with a vintage pocket watch."  
They smile at each other. It amazes Rosalee - was he always there, underneath the Captain and the Prince and the schemer they thought he was, this kind, caring man? Or was he changed by what happened with Black Claw, what is happening with Nick? The baby is moving again and she puts a hand on her belly, notices Sean glance down. He has a daughter - a daughter he loves and is working hard to build a relationship with - but as far as Rosalee knows he saw Adalind at most once or twice between Diana's conception and when she was put in his arms when she was a few days old. On an impulse she says,  
"Give me your hand."  
He does and she places it on her stomach where the baby is kicking, watches the quiet amazement on his face.

Help finally arrives - Nick along with Hank and Wu and four other uniformed cops - but at first all Rosalee sees is Monroe, all she wants is to be held by him. He wraps his arms around her, talking away, but she doesn't really listen to the words, just the familiar rhythm of his speech. When she emerges from the shoulder of Monroe's cardigan she sees Nick wrapped into Sean, holding tight and being held, despite the interested gazes of the patrolmen on the far side of the room.

Rosalee suddenly becomes aware that Monroe's stream of words has changed course and that the time it's taken to find them hasn't calmed him down after all. And of course there's only really one direction for his anger to turn here, and that's Sean. He's muttering again about Zauberbiests and how you can't trust them and he blames Renard for all of this. Rosalee opens her mouth to say something but Hank steps in, speaks quietly,  
"C'mon, Monroe, calm down. This isn't Sean's fault and he can no more help being a Zauberbiest than I can help the color of my eyes. Now it's late, so take Rosalee home while we set a nice trap for the people who are to blame."

Rosalee takes Monroe's hand and they head for the door, along with one of the patrol officers. She looks back, Nick is talking to Hank and the others but still standing so close to Sean they're touching. Sean glances in her direction, gives her a slight smile. Sean loves Nick, Nick loves Sean and she doesn't think that's going to change anytime soon. Monroe loves Nick in a different way, Rosalee wonders what on earth it is going to take for him to see Sean as the friend he surely now is.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thursday**

It's twenty after seven when the patrolmen concealed at the entrance to the building - part of an old water treatment facility near Mount Tabor - let them know the panel truck has arrived and Gallagher and the other two are on the way. The past couple hours or so Hank has been gently dozing on one chair while Wu sits on another and plays some everlasting game on his phone. Nick's got his legs across Sean's lap and one hand tucked into Sean's and Sean thinks if you have to wait several hours in a cold room for the bad guys to show up it's not a bad way to do it. When the call comes in Nick swings his legs to the floor, stands up and stretches,  
"Okay, showtime."

The expression on Kevin Gallagher's face when he opens the door and realises the room no longer contains a Zauberbiest and a very pregnant woman but rather a Zauberbiest, a Grimm and the Grimm's armed police colleagues is priceless. When the three uniformed officers appear it becomes, if possible, even more astonished and he then helpfully makes enough incriminating statements in front of all of them to more than justify Hank formally arresting him and the other men for kidnap and attempted extortion. As Hank is reading them their rights Gallagher gets increasingly red faced, pulling against Wu's grip,  
"You shouldn't be arresting me, you should be arresting him. Renard, he's the murderer, he's the criminal here."  
The two bigger men are led out to the patrol cars by the other officers. As soon as they've gone through the door Sean woges and he's across the room, pulls Gallagher out of Wu's hold and has him pinned against the wall before anyone else in the room has time to move. His Zauberbiest is out in full, right in Gallagher's face,  
"There are a couple of things you need to know before we start to play this by the book. The first is that I do not like people threatening me. The second is that I don't like people threatening or hurting people who matter to me, not at all. You need to remember these points. As it happens I did not kill Craig Wilkie but that doesn't mean I'm not dangerous, very dangerous to cross."  
He lets go of Gallagher, who turns to Hank,  
"See, he just threatened me."  
Hank looks at Wu,  
"Sergeant, you hear any threats from Mr Renard?"  
"No sir, I did not, just some facts, ones I believe to be entirely true."  
"That's what I thought."

********

Sean has been seated on this side of the Captain's desk before but it still feels odd, this familiar room seen from the wrong angle. Acting Captain Georgiev looks slightly uncomfortable too, fiddling with a pen, rearranging items on the desk. Hank and Detective McKay have just gone in to talk to Gallagher in the Interview Room, Nick is sitting at his desk, just visible if Sean turns his head slightly. As Sean's lover he's not allowed in the interview, too close to the case - they really are playing this one by the book.

Georgiev is looking at a print of the photograph, the one that had been attached to the message sent to Sean the day before. That had been a major mistake, not that Gallagher or whoever sent it would have realised if they thought it really was Sean. A digital photograph contains far more information than the pixels of the picture and the information it's provided has given Sean an alibi. The time stamp, the geotag all show that the photo was taken at a time and in a place when Sean was absolutely and unequivocally somewhere else. He was also accompanied by enough other people - not to mention television cameras - that it's clear he had no opportunity to travel twenty miles, change his suit and tie, murder someone, change back out of his special murdering outfit and return in time to eat dry chicken and make a speech in front of a hundred upstanding citizens. Quite how the figure in the photo looks so like him is another question, but it's the alibi that has given them the confidence to make this all official. Georgiev holds the photograph up to the light,  
"This guy really looks like you. You haven't got a brother have you? One who'd go around murdering people."  
"My only brother died several years ago, so no."  
Georgiev looks startled,  
"Oh, uh, sorry I didn't mean-”  
Sean gestures Georgiev's apology away, Eric would indeed have murdered without a second thought but even if he was still alive they didn't look enough alike for Eric to be a useful scapegoat.  
"I think these pictures were staged and were intended to be used during the election campaign. A lookalike, made up to resemble me, some clever lighting, posed shots. For whatever reason they weren't used, maybe whoever took them got cold feet at making such a serious accusation, I don't know. Kevin Gallagher found them and thought he'd use them - Craig Wilkie is supposed to be a close family friend as well as an aide, wouldn't you have expected Kevin's first response to be to bring these to us, the police, concerned about his friend? Instead he tries to use them to ruin my reputation. As far as we really know Craig Wilkie is alive and well and living a new life somewhere."  
Sean pulls the photograph towards him,  
"You know whoever this is looks like me but he's definitely shorter and this profile, not sure my nose looks quite like that."  
Georgiev looks too,  
"Yeah, once you know you start to pick out the differences. The hairline's totally different."  
Georgiev is a solid cop but not one Sean had ever considered overly blessed with imagination - which might actually make him a good man for Nick to have in charge - but it's a wonder what the power of suggestion can do.

Sean listens with half an ear as Georgiev tells him what the next steps in the investigation will be. Sean ordered Eric's death in here, learned Adalind was pregnant with Nick's child here, found out his father was dead here, actually met Nick here, can picture him perched on the edge of the chair on his first slightly nervous day as a detective. Bad memories, good memories, this was far more his home than the apartment or house where he slept at night. He misses it, this office. Sean turns his head slightly so he can see Nick through the blinds. He'll take what he has now though, take it in a heartbeat. And now home is where Nick is.

Nick tries to tackle the backlog in his paperwork but he can't really settle to it, thinking about Hank interviewing Gallagher, very aware that Sean is in the office behind him. He pulls up the file on his other case, tries to think if there's anything more he can do on that until he hears the office door open and turns to see. Captain Georgiev is shaking Sean's hand warmly so that's all gone okay anyway. Sean comes across, gives him a brief smile and just brushes his fingers across Nick's shoulder. Even that slight touch sends a brief spike of desire through him. Sean looks at the screen Nick is gazing at,  
"Luzia Ribeiro?"  
"Yeah."  
Monroe had tracked Luzia last night and it seems she did head towards the bus station so Nick hopes that she has just left for a new town, a new start. He's not really responsible for her, she was only a peripheral witness in the case and yet somehow her reaction to him as a Grimm, to her own Wesen nature means he can't quite get her out of his head. Sean leans against the desk next to Nick, a place he's sat so often in the past, looking at the photograph. Dark haired, dark eyed with the unformed prettiness of a teenager, Luzia is a bright girl, good student with a clear idea about what she wants to do. This case has already taken the life of one boy, wrecked the life of one girl and Nick really wishes he could do something to stop Luzia becoming another victim, not of violence but of spoiled chances.  
"You got any idea where she went?"  
"She could have gone anywhere. Although there was a bus to Cannon Beach at 6 - she might see it as a good option, summer jobs, lots of visitors. Be a good place to get lost in the crowd."  
"She's a witness in your case Nick - for all you know she might have more information, the other girl was her best friend. Use that - distribute her picture, say you still need to talk to her. And I have contacts, send me the photograph and I'll put the word out, see if anyone spots her."  
Nick glances up at him, suddenly misses having the Captain, his Captain here at the precinct. And then he grins, because having Sean love him is far better than having Captain Renard as his boss. Sean returns the look, a certain thoughtful expression on his face,  
"You know Captain Georgiev suggested you could go home, get a couple of hours sleep if you wanted seeing as you can't be in on the interviews."  
Nick reaches round for his jacket, looks at Sean from under his eyelashes in a way he knows does something rather interesting to the other man,  
"Bed for a couple of hours sounds good. Though I should warn you I'm not really tired."

It's quite difficult to make it to the parking garage, never mind the house. It's odd but Nick has never before had this overwhelming urge to _touch_ that he has with Sean. As soon as they're out of the bullpen and in an empty corridor he grasps Sean's hand and then stops so that Sean has to turn towards him. Nick reaches up (and that's still something he gets an unexpected thrill from, who knew being the one tilting his head up, the bigger body against his could be such a turn on?) and pulls Sean into a kiss. In the mid-morning calm they have time for the kiss to get deep and hot and breathless before they hear footsteps approaching.  
"Come on-”, there's a husky edge to Sean's voice that does nothing to reduce the heat in Nick's blood, "- Get me home or we'll be having sex in the supply closet."  
Even on the journey they can't not touch, Sean's hand on his leg, kneading and stroking, sliding onto the inside of his thigh, just brushing the seam of his jeans. Nick's hand off the wheel whenever possible, reaching across to Sean. The house door barely shuts behind them before Nick is pushing Sean's jacket off his shoulders, pulling his shirt from the tailored pants, running his hands across the hard planes of stomach and chest. They make it upstairs - just - and the need to get bare skin against bare skin is breathtaking. Sean's large hand wraps around them and they push and thrust, eyes never leaving the other and they are so in tune, so together that neither could say which of them finds release first. And then they do get some sleep, Nick sprawled on top of Sean, warm and sticky and satisfied to have every inch of his body he can in contact with Sean's.

Showered and in fresh clothes Nick drops Sean off to pick up his SUV, still parked near the Spice Shop, and heads back to the precinct. He puts out the APB on Luzia Ribiero - witness only, emphasises she's not a suspect because he doesn't want her frightened more - and then writes reports until Hank appears.  
"You've obviously been having a more satisfying time than me."  
Nick plays ignorant,  
"I don't know what you mean."  
Hank grins,  
"You've got a clean shirt and a smug smile, Burkhardt, you know exactly what I mean. Anyways, Gallagher has clammed up and lawyered up so we're leaving him to stew for a while. In the meantime me and McKay are going to trace his contacts, the two other guys' contacts and the lawyer's contacts, see what we can find."  
As he finishes speaking Hank's phone buzzes and he's just reaching for it when Nick's does the same. They both look at the message and then at each other. McKay walks up, coffee in hand,  
"What's wrong with you two?"  
Nick finds his voice,  
"A friend of ours, she's having a baby, on her way to the hospital right now."

**********

Sean knows what he's doing first with his afternoon and that's finding a hexenbiest. Kevin Gallagher is half Zauberbiest, half Balam. Sean is certain the man officially Kevin's father is neither, so either Kevin was adopted or Kevin's mother is a Wesen who hadn't been entirely faithful. Sean's first thought when he saw Kevin Gallagher woge was that he wanted the suppressant for himself, to suppress the Zauberbiest half of him, but the more Sean's thought about it the less likely it seems. Kevin seems to have an arrogance beyond his abilities, seems to think he combines the aggression of a Balam with the brains of a Zauberbiest, when Sean suspects it's more the other way round. No, Kevin wouldn't want to suppress his Zauberbiest - but the chances are his mother is a hexenbiest. Sean has met Helen Gallagher but his memories of her are vague: a tiny woman, he recalls, stick thin and beautifully made up but not high profile in the campaign.

Helen Gallagher may be tiny but her aim is good - the vase she levitates towards Sean's head would hit him squarely between the eyes if he didn't have very good reflexes, the small wooden box she follows up with catches him a glancing but painful blow on his shoulder. She's very shrill, very angry and, in Sean's opinion, not quite sane. He hasn't felt a lot of sympathy for Kevin Gallagher until now but in the line of fire of this woman's strange mixture of vitriol and overly-cloying mother love he thinks if this was the hexenbiest Kevin Gallagher wanted to suppress he'll willingly donate a pint of blood right here and now. Sean keeps a tight hold on both his temper and his woge and gets her calmed down enough to at least talk.  
"Mrs Gallagher, Kevin is in a lot of trouble but I don't think he was really the person behind this. If you know who is, that will really help Kevin. So is there someone you can think of, someone who has a lot of influence on Kevin?"  
She shakes her head, lips pressed together.  
"What about his father?"  
"Are you implying that _Steven_ -”  
"I'm sure your husband isn't Balam, I asked about Kevin's father."  
The name she eventually gives away is quite a surprise.

Sean's next appointment is back at City Hall, a meeting he really doesn't want to miss. It seems a lot longer than yesterday since he was last here so he checks his emails for anything absolutely urgent and then spends some time on a little research he's been intending to do since last night. As he's standing up to head to his meeting his phone buzzes with a message from Nick,  
_'M says false alarm'_  
He sends back, _'What's a false alarm?'_  
' _R not having baby - not right now anyway_.'  
He looks at the message for a second, hopes Rosalee is okay. After a moment he types a brief message and sends that thought to Rosalee herself.

The meeting is about a budget increase for the Portland Police Bureau and Sean guesses it isn't going to go smoothly as soon as he sees Richard Pierson, the man who'd blocked him so often in the meeting in Monday, get to his feet. Sean very much wants to speak to Richard Pierson but as this is not the time or the venue, he settles back to listen. Pierson's a good speaker, makes points that sound reasonable about the pressures on City finances, priorities, money spent on the PPB in the past. Sean watches him through hooded eyes,  
"I am sure our new Mayor is going to stand up after me and plead the case for pouring more and more money into the police department, money we could use to in other worthwhile places. I would ask that we all remember that Mr Renard cannot be considered unbiased here, not only because of his own long experience but because he still has ah, _very_ close contact with members of the Bureau. And I think we all know  that kind of contact can sometimes make us see less clearly."

Going there is he? There are one or two slight snickers at what might be considered a double meaning to Pierson's words but Sean thinks the man's slightly misjudged his audience. And Sean also realises that he really cares about this, that he doesn't want Pierson's personal dislike for him to mean that this budget won't go through, that for the first time in this job something that really matters to him is his to influence. He can't woge for this one, he has no badge or gun or dubiously inherited Royal title to make others do what he wants, all he's got are words and, maybe, the fact that he is the Mayor. He holds Pierson's gaze until the other man looks away then gets to his feet. He can fight this way too.

 

*********

  
Sean leans back on the couch and watches Nick push aside the take out cartons and lay out the five photographs on the coffee table. He's sitting on the floor by Sean, just slightly leaning against Sean's leg. On the other side of the room Hank takes a long pull on his beer,  
"So, Kevin Gallagher is the one directly making threats, the one who grabbed Sean and Rosalee and the one wanting the hexenbiest suppressant, probably for his seriously loopy mother. We have him and his two friends locked up, although I'm sure he'll make bail tomorrow. These pictures might still cause problems if they get published but we've hopefully taken away the worst threat, which is that Sean might get arrested for Wilkie's murder based on them. And we know that this Richard Pierson is actually Kevin Gallagher's father and therefore must be a Balam too, opposes Sean politically and is not above taking cheap shots at you two being together. So, what next?"  
Nick puts the photos in order, from 'Renard' grabbing Wilkie in the first to Wilkie slumped lifeless, neck broken, in the last,  
"Find the links between Gallagher and Pierson. Can we subpoena phone records?"  
Sean suddenly leans forward, a thought that had crossed his mind when he was at the precinct coming to the fore,  
"You know I might have said one more true thing than I realised to Georgiev, I think these pictures were staged."  
Nick looks,  
"You mean Wilkie's not dead? He does look pretty dead to me."  
"Oh no, I think the death's real enough - and Eve certainly seemed to confirm that. But we've been assuming these photographs were taken by some hidden onlooker and that Eve didn't know anyone was there. But what if Eve knew? I mean why did she kill him like this anyway? She could have snapped his neck without touching him. And doesn't it seem odd that you get such a perfect profile here, a great full face shot here and the action shot so perfectly visible? Nick, would you mind being my murder victim? And Hank, you're the photographer."

The coffee table is pushed back and a breathless few minutes later they all see Sean's point of view, what looked at first glance like a nearly continuous series of pictures actually require Sean to move through 90 degrees on two separate occasions, moves that don't seem to make sense even if Wilkie struggled.  
"So Eve knew." Nick looks sad and if Hank hadn't been there Sean would just pull him close, instead he puts his hand on his shoulder,  
"Eve knew. And I think that makes seeing Eve my top priority."  
They are suddenly distracted by both Nick and Hank's phones. Both men look and Nick tells Sean,  
"Monroe, he says this time it's really happening - the baby's on its way."  
It's a minute or so later, as they're putting the room back to rights and clearing away plates and cartons, that Sean's phone sounds a message alert. He looks,  
_'Probably with Nick anyway but just in case letting you know baby is on way, R fine. Monroe.'_

It's been a very long day with not a lot of rest the night before and so for once they fall into bed without any intention of doing more than sleeping. Sean pulls Nick to him and Nick does his getting as close as he can trick, half on top of Sean, one leg between Sean's, his head tucked into Sean's shoulder. His kisses Sean's neck between words as he speaks,  
"You know ... something important ...happened today."  
"Lots of stuff happened today - which bit?"  
"You came home for the first time since you got this job really pleased, really into something that you'd done. I think despite all the other stuff today you actually enjoyed doing what you officially do. Getting that budget increase will make a big difference to the department - and you made it happen." Nick shifts up enough for a second to reach Sean's lips.  
"That had better not be a thank you otherwise I'll have to declare it on some form."  
"Oh, you'll definitely know when I thank you."  
Sean laughs and kisses Nick's hair and they fall asleep wrapped together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Friday**

  
Sean and Nick are woken at quarter after four by a message from a rather disgruntled sounding Monroe, another false alarm, no baby imminent and they're on the way home. They're woken again thirty minutes later by a truly incandescent, angry Monroe - someone has broken into the house and trashed the place. Twenty minutes after that they're at Monroe's, looking at the damage.

Monroe is prowling, red eyed, and Rosalee is sitting on the edge of the one upright chair, pale faced. Around them are strewn pictures, upended furniture, the contents of drawers and dressers and - of course - clocks. Monroe is nearly incoherent with rage at first, darting between one beloved object and another. Sean puts enough furniture right way up that you can at least walk round and Nick calls it in to the precinct. Monroe finally comes to rest next to Rosalee, takes her hand and Nick perches opposite him.  
"Any ideas who did this? What can you smell?"  
Monroe's eyes flash red again,  
"Cat, that's what I can smell. Cat, all over our house."  
"What kind of cat?"  
"Balam, three of them."  
Nick looks up at Sean,  
"I guess that tells us who."  
There are lights outside, a patrol car arriving and Nick goes to meet them. Monroe makes a visible effort to calm down and turns to the still silent Rosalee,  
"Hey, cops are here. We'll make a statement and then start to get cleaned up, it'll be fine."  
Sean think that it's going to take a lot of cleaning and tidying to get the place straight and that Rosalee looks closer to tears than he's ever seen her. He makes a decision and reaches into his pocket,  
"Don't worry about it for tonight. Nick and I will make sure the place is secure and I know a good cleaning company. I'll call them when they open - and make sure they know that every cog of every clock has to be found and kept safe. In the meantime go to our place, the guest bed's made up, get some rest. I'm sure you could both use it."  
Sean holds out the key to Monroe, who doesn't take it straight away. Sean sighs,  
"If it helps just think of it as Nick's house, not mine."  
Monroe reaches up, takes the key,  
"You're right, Rosalee needs some sleep and we can't deal with this now. Thanks...Sean."  
Monroe holds out his hand to Rosalee and she climbs to her feet, hand in the small of her back. As she comes past Sean she gives him an unexpected half hug,  
"Thank you Sean."

Once Monroe and Rosalee have left and the patrol car has driven away Sean and Nick board up the broken window and make sure the house is secure and there's nothing that can cause damage in the next few hours. When that's done Nick asks,  
"We done playing by the book? Because I'm feeling more Grimm than detective right now."  
Sean smiles in response, not a nice smile, not a kind smile,  
"We're done."  
"Good. Let's go see Richard Pierson."

They track Pierson down at his business premises, a big lot on the edge of the city, heavy woodland just over the fence line. His company is something to do with forestry, logging, something like that - Sean can't quite recall exactly what but he guesses even big cats like trees. Pierson pretends a welcome (’Sean - what a pleasure! And your...friend. So early in the morning too.') but the pretence only lasts as long as it takes two heavy set men to appear and stand behind him. Sean recognises them - the two Balams who grabbed him and Rosalee in the Spice Shop, who have obviously made bail. Their presence answers the question about the link with Pierson, makes things simpler. The mood Sean's in when two more woged Balams appear he's just glad of the coming challenge. Pierson woges too, his fur thick and boldly marked.  
"Sean, I really am so glad you dropped by, you've made this much easier. I've had enough of you getting in my way, a half-breed monstrosity taking a job that shouldn't be yours, you and your pet Grimm thinking you rule this city. I hoped that you'd get my message via the blutbad and the fuchsbau. I know you've somehow convinced your police friends you have an alibi for killing Craig Wilkie but those photographs can still ruin your reputation. Especially if neither you or your pretty boyfriend are there to defend it - a suicide pact, so sad."  
Idiot, thinks Sean.  
Pierson says, "Kill them" and the four Balams attack.

Oh, this is good. The simplicity of violence, fighting alongside Nick, anticipating his moves, attack and defend. Four Balams, bring them on, nothing complex, just punch and kick and wrestle. One nearly gets through Nick's guard, cover and defend him, another manages a heavy kick to Sean's ribs but Nick is there. A Grimm and a Zauberbiest, what are four cats against them? What do teeth and claws matter when they have this speed, this strength, this knowledge of each other. He loves Nick beyond anything he's ever known, with every cell in his body; Nick brings out everything there is good in him but navigating this unexpected new life is complicated, all these people with new expectations, new opinions. This is simple, just him and Nick and the fight. A clawed hand slashes past his face, Nick seizes the hand, uses it to spin its owner around and follows up with a blow to the furred chin. A fanged mouth gets too close to Nick's arm and Sean throws the Balam into a nearby wall, adrenaline and Zauberbiest pounding through him. Pierson himself roars, joins the fray but shouting isn't going to help him, not now, not with Sean and Nick working together in a perfect duet of aggression and understanding. Block, move, attack. Sean's almost disappointed when it's over, two Balams groaning, two lying still and Richard Pierson grovelling and mewling at his feet. Nick turns to him, grinning,  
"You want me to kill him?"  
It's probably the combination of Nick's broad smile and his Grimm black eyes as much as his words that send Pierson scrabbling away. Sean pulls him back, shakes away his Zauberbiest (because a raised eyebrow and deadpan expression work better with a human face) and comments,  
"You don't usually ask my permission."  
"Well, he's a councillor, you're the mayor, I thought it might be polite."  
"Very considerate. Let's ask questions first - and if his answers are not satisfactory you have my blessing."  
Nick won't kill him, nor will Sean. Oh no, the true revenge will be letting him live and knowing that every time he sees Sean, Richard Pierson will know his life was Sean's gift. And he's voting with Sean from now on.

Nick is buzzing as they drive back into the city, talking through the fight, Pierson's information, but Sean's euphoria dies away as he thinks about what Pierson has told them. Kevin Gallagher with his mad mother, a biological father who despises him as a mongrel abomination but uses him when it suits, an official father from whom the truth of who he really is has to be hidden. Richard Pierson, who thinks Black Claw should have backed him for mayor, trying to push through shady land deals and thinking that makes him a hard man. But how did Pierson get the photographs in the first place? He says they came from Black Claw, an email address they used to send details of meetings, he doesn't know the identity of the sender. That's plausible and possible but Sean feels a piece is still missing from the jigsaw, that there is something else, someone else. Nick notices his silence,  
"You've gone quiet, you okay?"  
"I think I'm going to have to go to River Point this afternoon."  
"To see Eve? Why?"  
"I still have some questions. And I think she still has some answers."

Sean is dropping Nick off at the precinct and Nick tells him to go into the parking garage rather than just pulling in to the kerb outside.  
"Why am I down here?"  
Nick looks at him seriously,  
"Because if you're going to see Eve I need to kiss you properly before you go."  
Nick reaches across, strokes Sean's cheek and then pushes his fingers into his hair, pulls Sean towards him. Nick's lips are gentle at first, soft kisses against his mouth, sucking slightly on his lower lip. Sean shifts in his seat to get closer, deepens the kiss. When they finally break apart, just a fraction Nick says,  
"Be careful. And remember I love you."  
""Always and always. I love you too Nick."

The familiar layers of security are negotiated - no bottle of hexenbiest suppressant in his pocket this time, no point when he was only here Monday. He enters the familiar room, the superintendent already there as normal.  
"Bring her in and then leave. I need to speak to Eve alone."  
The superintendent draws herself up, starts to protest. He cuts across her words,  
"I'm seeing her alone. And while you're waiting outside you might want to spend the time updating your CV, I think you're going to need it." He lets his Zauberbiest face appear just a little in response to the Balam showing through in hers,  
"Your job was to keep Eve secure, no unauthorised contact with the outside world. You've failed in that and you'll be paying the price. And don't expect cousin Richard's help either."  
He reaches across, presses the buzzer. Eve comes in and the superintendent steps out.  
"Sit down Eve."

Sean takes the photographs that started all this from his pocket, looks through them.  
"This is Craig Wilkie. He wasn't Black Claw, not even Wesen. He was exactly what people thought he was - a not very moral human being who tried to bail out when things got too hot for him. Except unfortunately for him he met you. And you decided he was the perfect murder victim for me."  
He puts the photographs on the table and spreads them out.  
"I wondered who took these pictures at first but of course you did, you had no need of anyone else in the room, easy enough for you to press a button with your mind. The staging's a little clumsy but I suspect the ah, _pretence_ of my body was harder to control than you anticipated both times you used it. Wilkie's murder wasn't going to be obvious straight away so you could keep the photographs for when you needed them. Why weren't they used by the way?"  
For a second he thinks Eve will deny it but then she inclines her head a fraction,  
"Meisner would not use them, told me to destroy them. He was wrong."  
"And so you kept them stored electronically somewhere, somewhere you could access them, just in case. And then you, helped by your friend the superintendent, managed to get them to Richard Pierson, along with some suggestions on what to do with them."  
She looks at him stony faced.  
"You know what first made me think you might be involved? That whoever it was wanted three years supply of the hexenbiest suppressant. Why so much? And it crossed my mind that if something has an ingredient with a limited source then demanding a lot of it will put pressure on supplies elsewhere. If we actually had to make that much you might have to be given less, maybe so much less that your powers would begin to come back. Or if the pictures had been published I might have been arrested, out of the way entirely."  
"It is foolishness that my abilities are not used. I could be the most powerful of weapons, change the course of history and instead they hold me here, make me ineffective. Use you to do that to me. Your blood, weakening me, taking away what I truly am."  
"How did you know that it was my blood?"  
Her face twists with hatred, entirely human but the ugliest he's ever seen it.  
"The first time they gave me the suppressant I could taste it, taste you surging through me, taking away my strength. If I could see every drop of your blood drained from you and thrown away I would."

He sits back in his chair, watches her, his face as expressionless as hers.  
"This won't change anything you know. I'll still be here twice a month, give you the suppressant, check you are as well looked after as you can be."  
"Why would you do that?"  
"The suppressant? Because it's important and I want to know it's done properly, powerful weapons don't always change history in a good way. And I will make sure you are cared for because Nick asked me to."  
Sean presses the buzzer to fetch in the guard and Eve looks at him, head tilted. It's only as she's leaving the room that she speaks again,  
"It won't last you know. You will deceive, it is your nature and Nick will not forgive that, will love you less with each deception. Or he will simply grow bored, lose patience with you needing him as he lost patience with Juliette, with Adalind. I look forward to that day."

********

Nick has had a new case, new murder. Not a complicated case, not Wesen but enough to keep him out until late. He keeps his mind mostly on the job but Hank knows where Sean has gone, says 'go' as early as he possibly can and that he will finish up. Nick's heard from Sean twice, two messages. The first, sent early afternoon, said that one of Sean's contacts has a lead on Luzia Ribeira, that she is in Cannon Beach with a false name and a job waiting tables. The second, sent later, says simply,  
_I kept remembering. I love you._  
Sean is not usually a man to put his emotions in a text message, the meeting with Eve must have been as difficult as anticipated.

When Nick opens the door and walks into the house Rosalee is sitting on the couch and Monroe is in the kitchen, making tea. Nick says 'hi' but all his focus is on the man standing at the window, looking out across the river in his favorite brooding spot. Nick walks up to him, slides his arms around him and just holds until he feels Sean relax.

Sean has made something vegan and - even Monroe agrees - delicious. Nick drinks a beer and eats every remaining mouthful, never letting Sean away from his touch for long. After Monroe and Rosalee disappear to bed he takes his plate into the kitchen, turns to find Sean again by the window. He goes across, works himself into Sean's arms once more.  
"What did she say?"  
"That I will...break this. That who I am will destroy it in the end."  
"And do you believe her?"  
"No, not if you believe in me."

They are standing so still that Monroe, returning down the stairs for a glass of water on bare and silent feet, doesn't see them at first. They are not kissing, just holding and looking straight into the other's eyes. Sean has his arms around Nick, Nick has one palm resting on Sean's chest, the other on his cheek. Nick's hand moves slightly against Sean's face and then is motionless again as he speaks,  
"Nothing comes between us, not now, not after we've found this, found each other. Anything that happens we get over it, whatever it is, good times, bad times."  
"We do it together."  
"And I'm yours and you're mine."  
"Always."

It sounds like a vow, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, thinks Monroe. He decides he's really not that thirsty, backs up the stairs and returns to his restlessly sleeping wife.


	6. Chapter 6

**Saturday**

Sean is woken up by Nick who is, in his own words, horny and hungry. Sean is more than happy to help out satisfying both of these appetites. Dealing with the first turns into an activity that is filled with suppressed laughter - both trying to be quiet, aware of Monroe and Rosalee in the house, both trying to provoke the other into making a sound. Sean declares himself the winner in this impromptu competition when he discovers Nick has the corner of the pillow in his mouth to hold back his moans, Nick's retribution for this comment tips Sean straight over an edge he hadn't planned on going for a couple more minutes. At least he manages it quietly. They shower and dress and head downstairs to deal with the second of Nick's needs.

Nick is making a very large breakfast when Monroe comes downstairs, Rosalee left asleep in bed. There's more than enough food for three so Sean adds another scoop of coffee to the pot and they sit and eat, the most relaxed meal Sean has ever had in Monroe's company. Perhaps they've turned a corner, he thinks. Monroe is going to head to the house, see how the cleaning is going, hopes they can be back there tonight. He's explaining to Nick the best way to repair a verge escapement (whatever that is) and Sean is about to drink the final mouthful of coffee when Rosalee appears on the stairs. She looks upset, clutching her stomach.  
"Monroe, the baby's coming."  
Monroe leaps to his feet,  
"Oh my god, I'll get the bag, I'll get the car, we'll get to the hospit-"  
"There's no time for that! I thought it was just like the other times but it's not, I can feel it, feel the baby, it's happening now."  
There is a single frozen moment - Monroe on his feet but unsure whether to turn to his wife or his car, Nick half out of his chair, his mouth a startled round 'o' and Rosalee halfway down the stairs, clinging to the handrail. Her groan breaks the tableau. Sean keeps his face and voice as deliberately calm as he can possibly manage as he moves towards her,  
"Let's make sure. If we have time to get you to hospital Nick has blue lights to help, if the baby's as far on as you think he will just have to arrive here, we'll manage. Can you get back upstairs? It will be the most comfortable place."

Rosalee has a birth plan, carefully researched and discussed and considered and carried round for the last few weeks in the bag now resting over by the window. Despite this she'd never thought things would go as planned out on that pristine white paper: she's imagined how it might happen, worried about how it could happen - but she hadn't seen this scenario. And she'd also never expected Sean Renard to be looking at her from quite that angle.  
"I think you're right, this baby is arriving right here and now. Nick, we're going to need a few things."  
He looks up at her, smiles reassuringly,  
"Stop trying to fight it Rosalee, it's definitely time to push."

It's like a woge, she thinks, that first woge, the feel of your own body being swept along by something so powerful you can't resist, the wave crashing over you until it seems there's nothing else in the world. And the world here is just her and what she has to do, Monroe and Sean. She can actually woge, she realises, doesn't need to worry about concealing it - she hangs onto Monroe and if occasionally it's claws gripping his hand or his shoulders rather than fingers he doesn't complain. And Sean is calm and certain and she trusts him, trusts him with her own body and her not quite born son. It seems to take forever and yet no time at all and then Sean has something tiny and slippery in his big capable hands, rubbing with a towel until he gets the first plaintive wail. He wraps the baby in a blanket and places him on Rosalee's stomach, makes sure she's holding him securely.  
"Congratulations both of you, you have a son."

By the time official medical help arrives it's virtually all over, the birth, the aftermath and even a little tidying up. The doctor seems slightly put out by this but cuts the cord, checks both the baby and Rosalee and has to grudgingly admit that the emergency midwife has done a good job. There is a mild argument about whether or not to take Rosalee to hospital but having got this far she's not going anywhere now. The doctor leaves and Sean comes back into the room, asks if there's anything else they need. Rosalee wants to say thank you, wants to tell him what he's just done means to her, wants to say that he'll always have a special place in their son's life but suddenly she has a lump in her throat, emotion welling up. Monroe squeezes her arm and, as so often, steps up to the mark. He stands up, crosses to Sean and holds out his hand,  
"You were amazing, Sean, thank you."  
Sean takes his hand and they shake. Rosalee holds her breath, come on Monroe.  
"Oh man, I don't think shaking your hand is enough."  
And much to Sean's evident astonishment Monroe pulls him into a hug. Rosalee smiles, so that's what it took to make Monroe realise Sean is a friend.

The slightly awkward after-hug moment is interrupted by the sound of the doorbell and then voices. One of the voices exclaims in a high, excited voice,  
"The baby!"  
Adalind has arrived to drop off Diana and Kelly for their weekend with their respective fathers.

 

By early evening Sean needs a few minutes alone - as a man who led such a solitary life until recently he still occasionally feels the pressure of people constantly around him. Nick doesn't count as 'people' of course but Nick is currently in the yard with the children and Bud Wurstner and two baskets of baked goods. Rosalee slept for several hours but had then declared herself ready to show the baby off so Hank and Wu have both been round. Even Adalind had stayed a while rather than just dropping Kelly and Diana and on this day of surprises Sean has managed to have a remarkably friendly conversation with her. They even talked about Diana's birth, something that they've never actually discussed in any detail before. It's only six fifteen but it's been a long day so Sean is sneaking into his office at the front of the house, just for five minutes. He checks his emails and takes a quick glance at the local news. There's a small story about the suspension of the superintendent of the River Point facility, a longer feature using Kevin Gallagher's arrest as the lead in to a rehash of various political family scandals. Sean's getting ready to rejoin the fray when the front door goes yet again.

The young woman standing at the door is vaguely familiar but Sean can't place her at first: dark hair, dark eyes, late teens.  
"I need to speak to Detective Burkhardt, is he here?"  
Ah, of course,  
"Luzia Ribeiro I presume." Sean wouldn't normally let someone connected to a case into the house but he knows the efforts Nick's made to find her. He holds the door open, "Come in."  
"You're the Zauberbiest."  
She takes a slightly nervous step back and he tries to look as unthreatening as a six foot four man possibly can. Luzia looks him up and down - t shirt, jeans, back to the t shirt, meets his eyes for a second and finally steps in past him.  
Actually Sean doesn't think the scene in front of them could be less threatening. Rosalee is in the most comfortable chair they can find, the baby half asleep in her arms, Monroe is sprawled in another chair and he is asleep, snoring gently. Nick is sitting with Diana leaning against his legs and Kelly is on the floor with Bud, both playing enthusiastically with building blocks. Sean doesn't know what Kelly will be when he's older but he thinks he'll certainly know how to build a very fine dam. Surprisingly it's Bud who leaps to his feet and throws his arms round Luzia,  
"Luzia! Oh my god, your mother has been so worried!"  
"You know each other?"  
"I know Luzia's mom, we're on a committee together, you know that one for the youth centre, the one we want to build for Wesen kids-”  
Sean can see Luzia looks on the edge of tears and he interrupts gently,  
"Bud, I think Nick needs to talk to Luzia for a few minutes."  
Nick takes Luzia back in the house and Sean steals his chair. He never knows quite what to talk about with Bud so he says,  
"Tell me about this youth centre."

************

"I can't believe I've only lived here nine days and I'm already sleeping on the couch."  
Nick grins up at Sean, his arms full of bedding. Sean smiles back,  
"Well I'm sleeping on the couch too. Although I'm not entirely sure how we're both going to fit."  
"It'll be fine - it's not like we usually sleep far apart anyway."  
With Rosalee, Monroe and the baby in the guest room and Diana and Kelly asleep in the master the owners of the house are in the living room. They spread out the bedding and work their way in. Nick lies in his favorite position, mostly on top of Sean, one leg between his, head in the crook of his shoulder.  
"You know I've done first responder training but you were awesome this morning, you just knew exactly what to do."  
"My mother delivered a lot of babies, particularly when we were in Moscow. A lot of Wesen women don't like going to human doctors and although I was always kept out of the way I heard talk. Did you know fuchsbaus are well known for delivering very quickly? And I spent Wednesday evening locked in a room with a very pregnant fuchsbau."  
"You revised! Boy Scout."  
Sean kisses Nick's hair,  
"I like to be prepared."  
Nick lies quietly for a moment but Sean can tell he has something else on his mind.  
"What do you think the new baby will be? I mean I know he's supposed to be either blutbad or fuchsbau but could he be some mix?"  
"There hasn't exactly been much research but theoretically most Wesen don't hybridise so he should be one or the other. Hexenbiests and zauberbiests are unusual in that. It's probably a good thing - it can be tough enough being Wesen without making it even more difficult by being even more different."  
"Like it was for you?"  
"I can't complain, tough for all of us. Look at Monroe and Rosalee, they both had their battles to get where they are now, your Lontramulher Luzia. I even have some sympathy for Kevin Gallagher."  
He doesn't say anything about Kelly and Diana but he knows they are both thinking of them.  
"Sean, if you could take the suppressant would you?"  
The question surprises him. It's never been a possibility so not something he's really considered. As he thinks Nick's hand reaches up to his cheek, strokes it as he so often does.  
"No, not now, it's part of who I am. It may not always be the best part of me but I have to live with that."  
"Good. Because it's part of who I love."  
Sean tightens his hands on Nick, pulls him a fraction closer. After a few minutes Nick pushes down against his hip,  
"Wish we had a lock on the door."  
Sean laughs, "We don't actually have a door down here, unless you want to go in the office and make out on the desk."  
"Sounds interesting."  
"Forget it, we both know you can't possibly be quiet enough."  
"Ha ha. Just you wait Sean Renard, the next time I have you all alone in this house I'm going to make you sing like a Kanarienvogel"

Maybe it's not the most comfortable night's sleep either has ever had but they don't really care, sleeping together is always better than sleeping apart now. Always will be.

**Epilogue - a few months later.**

Zauberbiests are not known for their altruism, Rosalee considers, so there are probably people here who think Sean has some ulterior motive for all of this, for the money he's raised as Mayor, the influence he's used to make it happen. Of course Zauberbiests are not known for their kindness or consideration either, or for loving someone so much that it's impossible to imagine them ever being apart. Or for being good friends. She looks across at Monroe - another man who doesn't fit the expectations of his kind - and smiles, shifts the baby on her knee. On the other side of Monroe is Nick, holding Kelly and watching Sean intently. The room is full of Wesen of all kinds, all listening to Sean's speech,  
"- thank you to every contributor here today. I must also mention my council colleague Richard Pierson, who can't be here with us but whose very generous donation of every piece of wood needed for the construction of this building was much appreciated. This centre will be open to all for much of the time but in addition to that it will offer help and support to those young people facing the additional challenges and joys of discovering they are Wesen. All of us here know what that means and as a father, step-father and honorary uncle myself I know how much it can concern us. It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare this centre open."  
There is enthusiastic applause from the audience and Sean steps aside and works his way towards them through the crowd, kisses Nick, smiles at Monroe and Rosalee, ruffles the baby's hair. He turns to the last member of the party, standing a little shyly behind Rosalee.  
"Hello Luzia, how's the training going?"  
"Very well thank you."  
Rosalee smiles,  
"She's doing brilliantly. College's loss is definitely my gain - I sit and nurse the baby and Luzia serves in the shop and makes half of the stuff we sell now. If she does go back to her original plan of being a pharmacist she'll be a damn fine one but for the moment I'm very glad to have her. It was a very lucky thing she came along."  
"Sounds like you're doing great, well done."  
Luzia blushes and Rosalee smiles inwardly, Luzia is a bright and confident young woman but she definitely gets swoony when Sean is nearby. Fortunately she really likes Nick too so the crush is unlikely to get out of hand. Sean is drawn into conversation with a donor to the project, Luzia, still pink, is pulled away by one of her friends and Rosalee realises Bud is behind her, ready and waiting for baby admiration

Rosalee hasn't stopped talking for an hour, amazed really by how many people she knows, by seeing so many different Wesen all together for something good. Now she thinks she has only a little time before her son decides his dinner is long overdue and so she looks round for Monroe, spots him talking to Sean and Nick. Monroe is telling some tale - she can't hear what but recognises the body language - which is making both Sean and Nick smile. As usual when they're together they are touching, not obviously but they are shoulder to shoulder, fingers close. Nick makes some comment and the two of them look at each other, Sean laughing out loud. That's something else Zauberbiests aren't known for she thinks, being happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One starting point for this was that Sean had to deliver Rosalee's baby (as mentioned at the end of 'Random Chance') but as I got going I realised that I also really wanted Rosalee to be okay with this happening. I'm surprised myself by how many words that took so if you've got this far thank you for sticking with it. The other starting point was a line in a recent episode that really annoyed me and which if you've seen series 5 you might spot!


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